GREATER ALABAMA COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA/LEARNING FOR LIFE, INC
December 14th, 2009
IMPORTANT INFORMATION, MEETINGS AND DATES TO REMEMBER
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am until 5:00pm
Main Phone 205-970-0251 Fax 205-970-0349
Northern Area Service Center 256-883-7071
Birmingham Scout Shop 205-967-5954
Huntsville Scout Shop 256-880-1488 or 877-880-1488
NOTICE: AFTER DECEMBER 21ST,
THE DIGITAL EAGLE WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE IN THIS FORMAT. IF
YOU DID NOT ALSO RECEIVE A LINK TO VIEW THE DIGITAL EAGLE, AND YOU WISH
TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE IT, YOU MUST SIGN-UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE
HOMEPAGE OF OUR WEBSITE (WWW.1BSA.ORG).
What's Happening (next four weeks)
MARKETING ANALYSIS TRAINING
- Marketing Analysis training for key district volunteers will be
conducted on Tuesday, December 15th at 6:30 pm at both the Goodloe
Scout Service Center in Huntsville and the Clayton Scout Service
Center in Birmingham.
HOLIDAY CLOSING
- Both Scout Service Centers will be closed on December 24th
and 25th. The last day of operation for both Scout Shops
will be Wednesday, December 23rd, after which they will be closed for
inventory. The Scout Shops will re-open on Monday, January 4th,
2010. Plan ahead and make sure you have the books, badges and
other items you need by the 23rd!
WINTER BLAST - December
27-31 at Camp Comer. Boy Scouts may attend with their troop, or
on a provisional basis. Plan now to attend. A reservation
form and the Leaders/Parents Guide (with merit badge and program
information) are on the website (www.1bsa.org). Staff are still needed for a variety of positions. If interested, contact Joey Kiker at jkiker@1bsa.org.
Events, Activities, and Information
Chief Zack Cross -Cross
was an ordinary man from Bessemer, Alabama who served as a rising tide
in the lives of men all over Alabama, the United States, and in distant
countries. Chief trained boys who eventually became leaders in
numerous professions. Now get your copy of Chief, a
biography of Zack Cross. Copies of the book can be purchased at
The Greater Alabama Council or through mail. Cost is $19 (+ $3
shipping & handling if mailed). Click here for more details and order form.
YOUTH IMPACT PLAN - During the last council anual business meeting, the board approved the Youth Impact Plan, which sets several goals including:
*
Doubling the number of youth served over the next five years
* Training all adult leaders within 90 days of assuming a leadership position
WOOD BADGE 2010 – There
will be one opportunity for 48 adult leaders to participate in Wood
Badge next year. The course will be conducted September 17-19 at
Camp Comer, and October 15-17 at Camp Jackson. Cost is
$200. For more information, or to request an invitation to attend,
click here.
DIXIE CHALLENGE
- Shelby County Shooting Sports Association would like to announce the
2010 Dixie Challenge. The match consists of 3 events:
1. 3x20 CMP Cup Air Rifle Match w/Final.
2. Progressive Position Pistol Match (PPP)
3. 4 Position BB Gun Match w/Final. The BB gun match will also serve as the NRA Alabama State Championship.
The match will be held
on February 13, 2010 at the CMP Marksmanship Center in Anniston,
AL. For information visit our website at www.shelbyshootingsports.org or contact Sam Richardson at SRichieR@aol.com
UNIVERSITY OF SCOUTING - The 2010 University of Scouting will be Saturday, March 6th at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Click here for more information.
UAB SCOUT NIGHT - The UAB Athletic Department would like to invite all local Scouts and their families to Scout Night!
Come watch the UAB men's basketball team on December 22nd as
they take on nationally ranked Butler at Bartow Arena.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Pre-ordered tickets for this
event are available online for only $10
(typically $15). Additionally, all scouts will have the chance to
line the court pre-game for the national anthem. For ticket
information, click here.
RIFLE MERIT BADGE - Shelby
County Shooting Sports Association announces the next NRA Basic Rifle
course which meets the requirements for the BSA Rifle Merit
Badge. The class will start Thursday, Jan. 7 at 6:00 PM. It
will meet for 7 Thursday evenings plus one Saturday at the range
(tentatively 8-12 AM, Feb. 6). Class size is limited. Cost
for the course is $50. We provide everything needed. For
course information go to http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx . To register for a course a student should go to http://www.nrainstructors.org/SignupStudent.aspx?id=12450. For more information contact SRichieR@aol.com.
EAGLE BOARD OF REVIEW INFORMATION - Effective
January 1, 2010 the Greater Alabama Council will go to a standard
procedure for verifying Eagle Scout references. This decision was
based on a vote by the Council Advancement Committee and review by the
Council Executive Committee to ensure consistency with the Eagle
advancement process. Each District will designate who receives
the letters after they are completed, either the District Advancement
Chair, a designee, or a member of the respective Troop Committee.
The letter should not go to the Scout but may be released to the Scout
after the Board of Review if the writer of the letter so
designates. To view or download the new form, click here.
ALABAMA BOY SCOUT TAG - Join us in celebrating the 100th
Anniversary of Boy Scouts by purchasing a Boy Scout license
tag. It is a great way to support the Scouting programs and your
community. The proceeds from the tag will be returned to your
local Boy Scout Council. Click here for more information on how to get the Alabama Boy Scout Tag.
CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP PATCH/T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST - All
Cub Scouts are invited to participate in the 2010 Day Camp and T-shirt
design contest. The theme for next year’s Day Camp is “On My
Honor” based on 100 Years of Scouting. The winning design will be
the official logo for the patches and t-shirts for Day Camp. The
winner will receive a FREE campership to Day Camp or, if a Webelos
crossing over into a Troop, $65.00 applied to their Summer Camp fees
for attending Camp Comer or Camp Sequoyah. To participate a Cub
must:
- Be currently registered in the Greater Alabama Council.
- Have a design based on the “On My Honor” theme and this phrase be on the patch.
- Have a design that can be incorporated into a 3 ½ patch.
The
Greater Alabama Council will retain the right to make changes to the
design to ensure both quality and artistic integrity. The same
design may involve graphic design changes to be used in the design of
the t-shirt. Decisions of the judges are final. ALL
SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY AT YOUR DISTRICT’S JANUARY ROUNDTABLE/DAY CAMP
KICKOFF MEETING. Please ensure that your Pack not only has
entries submitted but also has a representative attend the Kickoff that
night. They will learn all of the exciting and fun details for
Day Camp and enjoy a Day Camp-style Cookout. So mark your
calendar to attend Roundtable as well as get your designs ready. Click here for a design form.
2008 EAGLE SCOUT CLASS - The
names of the 2008 Eagle Scout Class have been engraved on the Eagle
Wall Plaza at the Liberty Park complex. All are welcome to come
and view the names of this and all other Eagle classes.
SCUBA OPPORTUNITIES - Boy
Scouts -- SCUBA merit badge is now available. Venturers --SCUBA
instructions and outings are available. Interested? Click for more information.
SCOUT DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE - The Alabama Legislature will recognize the Third Annual Scout Day and as we celebrate the 100th
Anniversary of Scouting on Tuesday, February 2,
2010. Alabama Boy Scouts will open the House session by presenting
the colors and then a Proclamation will be read and presented to the
Boy Scouts proclaiming “Boy Scout Day”. All Cub and Boy Scouts are encouraged to attend this special “Scout Day” at Alabama’s State Capitol. Click here for more information.
NORTHERN TIER
- Troop 21, Bluffpark, has openings for Boy Scouts and adults for their
scheduled a trip to Northern Tier, out of Bisset (includes the sea
plane ride to the put in). Departure from Birmingham will be on
June 29 with return July 11, 2010. Transportation is by Troop
bus. Individuals or a group to form a crew are welcome. The
cost is $1000, or less, at this time. Call Larry Young at 205-
901-2063 for more information.
JAMES T. STEPHENS SCHOLARSHIP
- The Greater Alabama Council announces that two (2) Eagle Scout
Scholarship Awards have been established by James T.
Stephens. These awards are open to Eagle Scouts of the Greater
Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America. The scholarships are for a
maximum of $3,000 yearly for up to four years of college. Click here for more information and an application.
100TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE PROJECT
– The Greater Alabama Council is partnering with the Salvation Army
Food Bank to collect canned and non-perishable food items to help the
less fortunate in our community. This will be the official service
project for the Council’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. The drive will begin in the fall of 2009 and end in February 2010. For more information, click here.
VENTURING AND EXPLORING ADVISORS: “Looking to add some excitement to your annual program?” The
Greater Alabama Council has answered many of your request and
recommendations by including a total of Seven (7) fun filled events to
the council’s annual program calendar for all Venturers and
Explorers. If your Crew or Post would like to sign up for one or
several of the events included in the attachment (Venturing / Exploring)
, please complete the registration form by the due date and submit to
the Charles T. Clayton Service Center located at 516 Liberty Parkway,
Birmingham Alabama 35242. However, if you have additional
questions or concerns or would like for one of our Executives to make a
special presentation to your unit please contact Billy Curtis, Council
Exploring Executive at 205-969-4277 or email wcurtis@1bsa.org. This is going to be quite an adventure, don’t miss it!
REGISTRATION FEE INCREASE
- The National Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution at its
May 2009 meeting to increase traditional membership annual registration
fee for youth and adults from $10 to $15 effective January 1, 2010. The
annual Exploring fee will remain $10. ALL REGISTRATION FEES go directly to the National Council. No registration fees remain with local Councils. For more information, click here.
COUNCIL PLANS TO CONDUCT WEBELOS RESIDENT CAMP -- The
Greater Alabama Council is planning to conduct a Webelos Resident Camp
July 11-14, 2010 at Camp Comer. Cost is $105.00 for all Webelos
and the first leader with a minimum of four Webelos is free. All
additional adults are $40.00. All interested parties are
encouraged to sign up their Webelos as well consider volunteering to be
on staff. A minimum of 85 Webelos and sufficient volunteer staff
(which will be determined by the Council’s Cub Scout Committee) must be
registered by June 15 for the camp to be conducted. Those
interested in serving on staff need to complete the Adult Volunteer
Form (Page 17 of the Guide) and submit it by fax to Jeff Brasher at
205-970-0349. The Cub Scout Committee will determine the final
staff selections. There
will be separate programs for Webelos I and II. The first-year
Webelos will concentrate on Activity Pins while the second-year Webelos
will participate in an Outback Adventure concentrating on outdoor and
woodcraft skills. Both programs will be fun, exciting and full of
adventure. There will be lots of good food and activities.
To view the Leader’s Guide, click here.
WOOD BADGE SCHOLARSHIP FUND
- We are receiving donations in memory of Margie Keener, mother
of Lisa Sullivan. The family has requested the memorials go for a
Wood Badge scholarship; therefore, we have established an account for
the Margie Keener Wood Badge Scholarship. If you would like to
make a donation as a memorial for Margie Keener please take/send it to
either council service center and indicate on the donation it is for
the Margie Keener Wood Badge Scholarship.
SCOUT NIGHT WITH MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - The Memphis Grizzlies are celebrating 100 years of Scouting with a special Scout night on January 15th, 2010. For additional information click here, and contact Tony Garrett, Group Sales at (901) 205.1448 or Fax: (901) 205.1444 or E-mail: Agarrett@grizzlies.com to purchase tickets.
ON-LINE TRAINING
- The BSA's on-line learning center has many training courses for new
leaders, and experienced leaders as well. For example, This Is Scouting (which replaced New Leader Essentials), Fast Start, and Youth Protection Training
are all available on-line. These courses are available to everyone
(leaders and parents), but you must first have an account on www.myscouting.org to access the training. For more detailed instructions on how to get trained on-line, click here.
NATIONAL JAMBOREE
- Greater Alabama Council still has openings for about 35 more Scouts
who will be First Class and at least 12 but not yet 18 next summer to
attend the National Jamboree celebrating 100 years of Scouting in the
United States. For more information, check out www.bsajamboree.org!
SUMMER CAMP 2010 :
- Registration
is now open for summer camp 2010. Make sure your troop is part of
a great summer at Camp Comer or Camp Sequoyah. Click here for a camp reservation form.
- The
second week at both camps is at capacity. No additional
registrations will be accepted for this week (13-19 June) at either
Camp Comer or Camp Sequoyah.
EAGLE PROJECT WORKBOOK AND APPLICATION
- There have been several questions the last few days about the new
Eagle Project Workbook and Application. The 2009 application goes
into effect immediately. No prior printings will be accepted by
the National Office. As far as the workbooks, those prior to the
2009 edition that already have the four “Approval Signatures for
Project Plan” (Religious institution, school or community
representative; Unit Committee Member; Scoutmaster/Coach/Advisor; and
Council or District Advancement Committee Member) in place and
completed on the workbook application will be accepted and
“grandfathered” by the National Office. Those project workbooks
without these four signatures completed will need on the 2009 edition. Both forms can be found in the Council Service Centers, www.1bsa.org or www.nesa.org.
CAMP USE PERMITS -
Camp Use Permits are used to notify the council and the camp ranger
staff of your unit/group's intent to use camp property, and any special
requirements you may have. They should be submitted at least two
weeks prior to arrival at camp to allow the ranger staff sufficient
time to schedule necessary maintenance, arrange program items and
respond to any specific requests. One form (click here for
sample forms) is for Camps Comer, Sequoyah, Jackson and Westmoreland;
a separate form is used for Camp Jack Wright to meet
the requirements of Tannehill State Park.
SCOUTING INFORMATION ON THE WEB - A wide range of Scouting information is available to all volunteers by looking at www.Scouting.org. From
training to definitions on Scouting and other information on a national
level can be attained from this website. Everyone is encouraged to go to www.Scouting.org. along with the Greater Alabama Council’s website at www.1bsa.org to attain more information on Scouting you might need.
VENTURING OFFICER ASSOCIATION - Make
sure your Crew is represented at the Venturing Officers Association
meeting the third Sunday afternoon of each month at 2 pm at St Pauls
Lutheran Church in Cullman, AL. Each Crew should be represented
by the Crew President and one other crew member of your
choice. (Note: No meeting in December)
District News
ARROWHEAD (Serving Morgan, Limestone, and Lawrence Counties)
District Executive Garet Beane GBeane@1bsa.org Cell-256-520-3343
Arrowhead District Website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrow_web/
You
should have received an invite to join our Yahoo Group. It will be from
Arrow_web. Let me know if you don’t get an invite and/or you would like
to join that list.
UPCOMING EVENTS-
CULLMAN COUNTY- The
Arrowhead District is thrilled to welcome Scouters from Cullman County.
We are looking forward to working with you and would like you to sign
up for our District e-mail list. Please send an email to arrow_web@yahoo.com
or GBeane@1bsa.org with your name, unit, and email address and we will
get you signed up for updates on District Activities and announcements.
DISTRICT BANQUET- Please see the District website for more info on the banquet. Arrowhead District Banquet
Thursday, January 21, 2010, 6:00 p.m.
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church
1211 Westmeade Street SW. Decatur, AL 35601
Reserverations are required. Please forward your name and number attending to Lisa Ramey at Lisa_Ramey@Bellsouth.net or 73 Meadow View Dr., Trinity, AL 35673 no later than January 7, 2010.
POPCORN- Congratulations
to the Arrowhead District for making our 2009 Popcorn goal! And
congratulations to our Popcorn Chairman Shawn Hamilton and his staff
for making it! We could not have done it without the great kickoff that
he and Mike Ponder organized. All Money for the 1st sale is
past due. The office in Huntsville is collecting the money. If you need
to schedule other arrangements for me to get your money, please let me
know.
The Units that have a balance are:
Packs: 5, 30, 92(2nd sale), 222, 236(partial payment), 260(partial payment)
Troops: 240
Please contact me with any issues.
POPCORN SALE EXTENSION!
Popcorn Second Effort,
Reasons for second sale
The Greater Alabama Council has asked Trail's End for permission to conduct a one-time extension late sale…due to:
-Request from various Scout units to extend the popcorn sale period
-Many units' sales are down from previous years
-We had many weeks of rain which prohibited Scouts from selling
-Many communities had bouts of the flu that impacted the sale
-Pick up Take Order forms at popcorn distribution sites or download the form at www.1bsa.org – use the "New" Take Order forms only for the extended sale
Incentives:
-Independent of the first order based upon the bonus prize program:
-For every item sold during the extended sale– a Scout's name will be placed in a drawing for a $500 VISA gift card
-Units that participate in the extended sale will be entered into a
drawing for a $250 VISA gift card. Unit will be entered once for every
boy who participates in the Second Effort
-Fill it up incentive will be extended with a choice of Alabama
Adventure, Space and Rocket Center or Mallow Blaster for a completed
sheet (30 orders) which can be combined with order from initial sale.
Ordering:
-Place order by phone @ 205-969-4250 or email cashworth@1bsa. org by Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.
-Units please order in full cases
-Pick up your popcorn on Friday, December 18, 2009 between 8:30 am and 2:00 pm at your local service center.
-Pay for popcorn at pick-up with a post dated check
-Checks will be deposited December 28
-Turn in your list of sellers and the # of items they sold and the
Scouts name that qualify for fill it up incentive, when you pick up
your popcorn
BLUE & GOLD AND COURT OF HONORS- Every
Pack and Troop should have a yearly Blue and Gold Banquet or Court of
Honor. Please contact me with the date, time, and location so that we
can have a representative there to share in the fellowship and do a
Friends of Scouting Presentation. Please send the info to GBeane@1bsa.org.
CHRISTMAS TREE SALE- Live Christmas Trees (Boy Scouts) – East Limestone
Boy Scout Troop 236 (East Limestone) is selling live Christmas Trees again this year.
Trees will be
available beginning Friday, November 27 (5pm) at Joe's Pharmacy on
Capshaw Road at East Limestone Road. Sizes range from 4' to 9' and
prices from $25 to $90. Come by and pick out your live tree for
Christmas and help support our Troop. Additional information or on-line
ordering (with a discount) at www.pack236.com/events/tree.html
RECHARTER- Recharter
packets are in. We need to start getting these complete early this
year! If you were not at the training and would like to get your
packet, call me or your Unit Commissioner. If you are a new Pack/Troop
that started in the last couple of weeks, this will not apply to you
until next November but it might be good to attend the training to
prepare yourself.
DIGITAL EAGLE-
Be looking out for info about the new Council Website! It has come to
my attention through talking to adults at Day Camp and meetings that
many of our volunteers have never heard of the Digital Eagle or our
yahoo groups. Help get the word out to your Pack, Troop, or Crew about
this beneficial tool. At your next meetings, pass around a sign-up
sheet to get people’s email address’s and forward them on to GBeane@1bsa.org.
ACTIVITIES:
SPIRIT OF AMERICA: This
years Spirit of America Festival will be honoring the Boy Scouts and
the 100 year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. Please keep this
in front of your Unit and consider hosting an activity at the festival
on the 4th of July. More information and a sign up sheet is in the works and will be available to the District soon.
If you have any questions concerning the Arrowhead District Activities please contact Garet Beane at GBeane@1bsa.org
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”
BIRMINGHAM
CHEAHA
Hey
guys. Real quick this week. We have done a phenomenal job
this year in the Cheaha District. We have made almost all of our
goals for the year, missing only the Cub Adventure goal and currently
the membership goal. We saw a drastic increase in the Day Camp
numbers this year, sent a great number of boys and leaders to summer
camp, had a fantastic Cub Haunted, and increased our total number of
units in the district by one despite the fact that we lost three units
this year. This was all due to your efforts. I am very
proud of those efforts.
As I said last week, we cannot take our foot
off of the pedal. We have to finish out this year strong and hit
the ground hard next year. For this year, we need to button
up the membership. I ask that you again look at your rosters and
check for those that are coming versus not being on the roster.
We only have a little over two weeks left to get them in.
Let's get them in. For next year, we have need of a pack to host
the Pinewood Derby. To host, you need a big venue and
a good track. The venue needs to have plenty of chairs and a
lot of space for the people to enjoy it and not fill like sardines in a
can. Let me know if you are interested. Recharters are
fastly approaching. I am going to the office today to get the
recharters. We have 45 days from tomorrow to complete all of the
January recharters. Let's get them in and done.
It has been a great year guys. Let's continue
the effort into 2010, the 100 year anniversary of our
great organization.
Now, to something great that shows what our
organization is about. Pack 4260 from Roanoke recently held
a bake sale to help supplement their fundraising efforts. They
sold a lot of baked good for uniforms and awards. What
they did not sale, the donated to a local food bank
for Thanksgiving meals for those that needed them. This is a
great effort by a great group of young men. Way to go guys.
On a final note, the January Roundtable has been moved
to January 14 due to a Day Camp promotion that will be
going on. January's roundtable will be in Talladega at
the Citizen's Hospital at 6:30. Make sure you guys are
there.
Thanks for everything you guys continue to do. I am
proud to be part of you. Let's get ready to kick 2010 square
in the teeth.
SMiles
Steven D. Miles
District Executive
256-223-2999
CHEROKEE **QUALITY DISTRICT**
Hi everyone,
Hope everyone had a Great Thanksgiving! Here is what is going on in Cherokee District. Be bless and a blessing.
2009 Centennial Quality Commitment
- Units that have met their goals can earn the 2009 Centennial Quality
Unit Award by completing all fields on the CENTENNIAL QUALITY AWARD
FORM (2008 actuals, 2009 goals, and 2009 actuals) starting on November
1, 2009. Units may continue working toward meeting 2009 goals through
all of 2009. However, all work must be complete and the completed form
must be received on or before December 31, 2009.
December14th- All popcorn accounts completed and collected in Council office (Please do not forget to settle your popcorn account.)
Youth Application-
If you collected more youth applications since your school night please
call me, Anthony, at 969-4252 and I can make arrangements to pick them
up.
WINTER BLAST- December
27-31 at Camp Comer. Boy Scouts may attend with their troop, or
on a provisional basis. Plan now to attend. A reservation
form and the Leaders/Parents Guide (with merit badge and program
information) is on the website (www.1bsa.org).
CHOCCOLOCCO ** QUALITY DISTRICT**
***Nominations for the Award of Merit can be turned into Doug or Wayne Jackson
Important Dates:
January 23rd Merit Badge Fair
Doug Jackson
(256) 473-5511
ETOWAH
Mall Show
When: Saturday January 23, 2010 from 10am to 4 pm
Where: Gadsden Mall
Theme: Scouting Into the Future
Who: Etowah/Sequoyah (Sequotowah) Boy/Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts
Registration
is $1.50 per Scout to cover the cost of the patch. This will be a
lot of fun, and is a great opportunity to show ourselves in the
area. For additional information regarding registration and
deadlines, please contact myself (Chad Thompson, see contact info
above) or Dr. George Fant (troop92george@yahoo.com).
Congratulations and Thank you to John Trichell and all the training leaders for an excellent training day on Nov. 14th. Thank you for all of your efforts in putting on a successful training event!
District Time Table
Summer Camp Registration is due now.
Dec 15 Round Table Christmas Party at the Goodyear Scout Hut.
Gadsden Mall Show Registration Forms and a patch counts are due.
We have to have time to order patches.
Dec 27 Winter Blast at Comer
Jan 9 Pinewood Derby Car work shop at Noccalula Falls Scout Hut
Jan 16 JSU Pin and Merit Badge Fair
Jan 19 Round Table
Jan 23 Gadsden Mall Show
Feb 13 District Pine Wood Derby Car Race
Feb 16 Round Table
Feb 26-28 Centennial Camporee at Comer
I
appreciate all that you do towards keeping our Packs and Troops
strong. As always, please let me know if there is any way I can
assist you.
MOUNTAIN LAKE **QUALITY DISTRICT**
Attention all Volunteers!!!
Thanks for everything you do to make the Mountain Lakes District one of the best in the Council!
YIS,
Johnathan Lovett;
Mountain Lakes District Executive; GAC, BSA
(256)609-3150
MULBERRY
**QUALITY DISTRICT**
POPCORN UPDATE
- Congratulations to the beautiful Mulberry District
for exceeding the popcorn goal. This means more
funds available for unit activities! Call 256-531-3475 with
popcorn questions.
SCOUT SUNDAY
- Scout Sunday is February 7th. Start planning now to make the
100th Anniversary Scout Sunday an event to remember. Resource
materials will be available at the merit badge fair.
DECEMBER ROUNDTABLE/CHRISTMAS PARTY - Thanks
to all who attended, and a special thanks to those who organized the
evening. Congratulations to Stephanie and Tim Cummings for
receiving their Wood Badge beads.....and thanks for the generous
donations of canned food.
MERIT BADGE FAIR/DISTRICT BANQUET - The
Mulberry Merit Badge Fair will be held Saturday, January 9th, 2010 at
St. Bernard's Abbey. The district banquet will be held that
evening; the specific time and location is yet to be determined.
December
14th - All popcorn accounts completed and collected in Council office
January
9th - Merit Badge Fair and District Banquet
NORTHEAST **QUALITY DISTRICT**
Pasadena Bound!! In the interest of respecting everyone’s time (and Alabama Football),
the Northeast District will not be holding Roundtable on January 7,
2009. The Roundtable has been moved back one week to January 14,
2009 at 7:00PM at Deerfoot Baptist Church.
Interested in going to Camp?
As you may have
heard, the Northeast District will include Blount County beginning
January 1, 2009. In an effort to help foster this transition, the
name of the District will be changing. This is where your help
will be needed. The District Leadership has come up with a contest
to name the new Blount, Northeast Jefferson, and St. Clair County area
District.
What: “Name the District”
Contest rules:
Come up with a name that incorporates geographical features,
predominant landmarks, and anything that displays the essence of the
new District. All entries must come from Scouts residing within
the District boundaries.
Prize: Receive ½ off the cost of attending either Day Camp or Summer Camp.
Deadline: Submit all entries to Jon Ryan at jonryan62@windstream.net by December 28, 2009. (All entries will be based off of the email time.)
Centennial Quality Unit Forms
– We have a goal to complete our Centennial Quality Unit Forms before
December 2009. This will ensure that all Units know that they
qualify for the highly sought after 2010 patch. Be on the lookout
for a copy of your Unit’s Quality Centennial Form for 2009.
Remember, please take the time to visit the District Website at www.northeast1bsa.org
for information on any events, activities, and trainings. Also
pass this website on to any prospective new Scout Parents.
Congratulations
are in order for Mechell Malone, Darlene Moncrief, Mary Pounders, Shawn
Blanchard as fully trained Unit Commissioners.
-Brian Wilson, DE
Activities – Amanda Moore, Chairman
Merit Badge Day
When: Saturday, February 6, 2009 at 9:00AM
Where: Huffman United Methodist Church
Who: All Boy Scouts looking to get those hard to come by Merit Badges
How: Visit the Northeast District Website for online registration now!
For more information, please contact Bob Duffett at bob@prioritysoftware.com.
Day Camp
We are in the
building stages of Day Camp 2010 – On My Honor. The District is
looking for two strong leaders that are willing to attend Day Camp
School. Course fees will be paid for by the District. If you
are willing and interested in helping organize and staff the Day Camp,
please contact Brian Wilson at (205) 969-4282 or bwilson@1bsa.org for more information.
In The Spotlight
Congratulations
to the Northeast District newest Eagle Scouts. On December 7th,
Jared Waylander of Troop 915 in Trussville, Stephen Clay McAlpin
of Troop 11 in Center Point, Christopher S. Bly of Troop 14 in
Palmerdale, Byrne Alan Perkins Jr. and Jonathan Adam Ewing of Troop 609
in Gardendale passed their Eagle Scout Board of Reviews. A special
thank you goes out to Tad Thomason, Mike Harris, Terry Salmon, Greg
Moore, Chuck Owens, Keith Cox, and Dennis Brown for serving on the
Board of Reviews.
SEQUOYAH
NEW POINT OF CONTACT - If you have any question please contact Delwin Hill at 205-422-9856 or e-mail me at dhill@1bsa.org. I
will be serving as your District Executive until a replacement is
named. I have worked in the Sequoyah District in the past and look
forward to seeing and serving you again.
Roundtable:
As we continue to recruit new volunteer leaders let's encourage them to attend roundtable on the first Tuesday of each month
SHELBY **QUALITY DISTRICT**
Senior District Executive Clay Pruitt
Announcements:
-Congratulations to the
volunteers of Shelby District for achieving the 2009 Centennial Quality
District Award for the 3rd year in a row! Way to go!
-Wow! For the second month in a row
we had close to 100 people in attendance at our December Roundtable
this past Thursday!
-Thanks to the leadership of Steve
& Roxann Edsall for our Venture Leader Basic Training and Skills
Challenge for our youth leaders. We had about 50 people in
attendance from all over the Greater Alabama Council.
District Dates:
Recharter Turn In Party
Thursday, Jan 21st
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Boy Scout Office
-Our Unit Commissioner Corp will be
in attendance to help those who need assistance on their recharter
packet or 2010 Quality Unit Award form
Shelby Merit Badge Day Fair
Saturday, Jan 23rd
Oak Mountain High School
-Registration site should be up soon. Please check back for updates.
Scouting for Food Drive
Saturday, February 6th
Alabaster Salvation Army
-Please plan to help the
hungry in our communities. Last year we collected over 18,000 cans
of food to put on the shelves for the Salvation Army. They need
our help now more than ever this year!
Clay Pruitt
Shelby District Executive
205.914.7182 (C)
205.970.0251(W)
205.970.0349 (F)
TALAKTO **QUALITY DISTRICT**
Senior District Executive Curtis Hunt Chunt@1bsa.org or cell phone 256-361-7303
District Committee Meeting- Held the last Thursday in each month 6:00pm at Lockheed Martin, all committee members are encouraged to attend.
Roundtable- First Thursday of each month, Catholic High School at 7:00pm
The VULCAN District: A Quality, Award Winning District since 2004
Recharters
are now available from Brent at the Scout Office. If you did not
collect your recharter last Thursday, please contact Brent, bpritchard@1bsa.org, to arrange a pick up time.
District Banquet & Adult Leader Recognition Information
Cubmasters, Scoutmasters and Committee Chairman,
The 2009 Vulcan District Banquet is set this year for Monday, January
28, 2010. The banquet is meant to recognize adult leaders in the Vulcan
District who have completed requirements to earn many awards (knots).
These awards include Tiger Cub Den Leader Award, Cub Scout Den Leader
Award, Webelos Den Leader Award, Cubmaster Award, Cub Scouter Award,
Pack Trainer Award, Boy Scout Leader's Training Award, Scoutmaster's
Key and Venturing Leader Training Award. The above awards require
tenure, training, commitment to a unit and can be self-nominated. To
receive the forms for these awards, visit www.woodbadgeman.com.
There are also special awards that require nomination. These awards
include iScouting…Vale La Pena! Service Award, Scoutmaster Award of
Merit, Venturing Advisor Award of Merit and District Award of Merit.
Please consider nominating an adult leader deserving of these awards.
As
the banquet quickly approaches please complete the attached progress
record or nomination form by January 21, 2010 and return to me via
e-mail as a PDF. attachment, fax or by mail. Those that make a
difference in Scouting deserve an opportunity to be recognized. For
more information on award requirements and details visit www.usscouts.org/awards.asp . If I can be of assistance please contact me.
Yours in Scouting,
Alvie H. Allison
Vulcan District Advancement &
Recognition Committee Chairman
521 White Stone Way, Hoover, AL 35226
(205)226-8967 (Office)
(205)321-1262 (Fax)
(205)503-8949 (Cell)
alvie.allison@yahoo.com
alvie.h.allison@usdoj.gov
Wilderness First Aid Training
District OA Meetings-
Just
a reminder- OA meetings are held the last Thursday of each month at
6:30 PM at the Briarwood Scout House. Both former and current
arrowmen of any lodge are invited to attend. Questions: Brett
Melton, bkmelton@bellsouth.net .
Follow the Vulcan District on Twitter for real time updates and info on Scouting in our district. www.twitter.com/vulcandistrict
WESTMORELAND **QUALITY DISTRICT**
**Thank You Florence Kiwanis**
The
Florence Kiwanis club has constructed 5 permanent tents at
Camp Westmoreland. The club is donating all materials and
building the structures in a campsite near the training center.
Please take the time to thank your friends that are a part of the
Kiwanis club.
On-line Tools
GUIDE TO SAFE SCOUTING ONLINE!- National’s Guide to
Safe Scouting is now available online. We strongly suggest that unit
leaders use the online version of this publication because it is
maintained, by our national office and is updated with changes and
additions as they are needed. This is the most current Guide to Safe
Scouting. Click here, bookmark and share this information with all of your unit leadership.
ONLINE LEARNING CENTER - Its that time of year again
when we welcome new Scouts, parents and leaders into the Greater
Alabama Council Scouting family. It is everyone’s job to make each one
of these individuals feel welcome and appreciated. One important thing
we can do to insure a quality Scouting experience for our new
family members is to properly train our leaders. Fast Start
Training is now available at the BSA Online Learning Center.
This site provides access to online courses that may be taken for
credit by our members. You can also take the Youth, Protection Training
course here as well. It is strongly advised that every registered adult
leader be youth protection trained. GET TRAINED TODAY!
ONLINE ADVANCEMENT - Use Internet Advancement to record
awards, ranks, and merit badges to youth from any online location,
including at home or at the office. Internet Advancement allows
you to register once as a first time user and then to log in as a
returning user to submit ranks and awards for your unit members. If you
are using third party software, there is now an option to upload your
data into BSA’s Online Advancement! Submitting Reports is EASY! Units
set their own schedule for submitting reports. We recommend submitting
a report every month. Each December a final report with anything not
already recorded for the year should be submitted before month end.
Register to use Online Advancement TODAY!
ONLINE RECHARTERING - What are the benefits of Internet
Rechartering? The two key benefits from using Internet
Rechartering are more accurate member data and renewals are validated
against BSA membership rules before submission. These benefits are, two
sides of the same coin. When the unit does data entry for charter
renewal this leads to more accurate member data and ensures data
integrity. We are now approaching our rechartering season. Most
of our units will recharter during the months of November,
December, January and February. November units should be receiving
their recharter packets beginning in September, December in October,
January in November, February in December, etc. In your recharter
packet you should have your username and pass code to log on to the
online rechartering site. If for some reason you are unable to locate
your units online recharter information and require assistance, contact
Penny Griffin at pgriffin@, 1bsa.org or by phone at 1-888-490-8955.
TOUR PERMITS - On-line tour permits are now available. For more information and to learn how to use this tool, click here. Hard
copy (paper) tour permits will continue to be accepted and processed at
both service centers. NOTE: One adult listed on each tour permit must
have completed the "Planning and Preparing for Hazardous Weather"
training available on-line at www.olc.scouting.org. As a reminder, tour permits should be filed two weeks before travel, and are required when:
- Traveling outside of the council
- Traveling outside of your district, except when traveling to a council event for which your unit is pre-registered
- Staying overnight at a state or national park or forest
- Aquatics, shooting or climbing is part of the planned activity
LOCAL TOUR PERMIT
NATIONAL TOUR PERMIT
BOOKMARK THESE OFFICIAL BSA LINKS TO HELPFUL RESOURCES AND INFORMATION!
American Indian Scouting Association (http://aisa.scoutreachbsa.org)
Scoutreach Division has taken control of the site for the American Indian Scouting Association.
Boy Scouts of America, National Council (http://www.scouting.org)
This is the primary Web site for the National Council.
Boys' Life (http://www.boyslife.org)
A promotional site for Boys' Life magazine.
BSA Online Learning Center (http://www.olc.scouting.org)
This
site provides a variety of materials, from quick references to complete
courses, all designed to help our members improve leadership skills and
deliver a quality program.
Direct Service BSA (http://www.directservicebsa.org)
A separate site that enables Direct Service to communicate with their members.
Fieldbook companion site (http://www.bsafieldbook.org)
Companion site for the Fieldbook.
Finance Support Division (http://www.fsd.org)
Meant for finance support personnel (professionals, committees, and key volunteers) in the field. Mostly password-protected.
Florida Sea Base (http://www.bsaseabase.org)
Promotional site for the Florida Sea Base.
Good Turn for America (http://www.goodturnforamerica.org)
This
is a separate site for the "Good Turn for America" campaign. In
addition to providing information about the program, there is a section
where units may log in to report service hours.
Interamerican Scout Foundation (http://www.interamfoundation.org)
This site is operated by International Divsion on behalf of the Interamerican Scout Foundation.
Join Cub Scouting (http://www.joincubscouting.org)
Promotional site for the Cub Scout program.
Learning for Life (http://www.learning-for-life.org)
A stand-alone site for Learning for Life and Exploring programs.
Legal Issues Site (http://www.bsalegal.org)
This site provides information about the legal issues the BSA is currently facing.
National Eagle Scout Association (http://www.nesa.org)
NESA's
site supports their members, markets to potential members, and provides
assistance and resources to Scouts who are pursuing the Eagle rank.
National Scouting Museum (http://www.bsamuseum.org)
Promotional site for the museum.
Northern Tier High Adventure Base (http://www.ntier.org)
Promotional site for the Northern Tier High Adventure Base.
Scouting - Vale La Pena (http://www.scoutingvalelapena.org)
The official Spanish-language Web site of the Boy Scouts of America.
Soccer and Scouting (http://www.soccerandscouting.org)
Promotional site for the Cub Scout Division's "Soccer and Scouting" program.
Scouting Friends (http://www.scoutingfriends.org)
This site is intended to reach former members of Scouting who are interested in reconnecting with the movement.
Scouting magazine (http://www.scoutingmagazine.org)
Web site for Scouting magazine - contains full content (except ads) back to 1998.
Scouting magazine subscription site (http://shop.scoutingmagazine.org)
Scouting magazine has set up an "e-commerce" site that offers one item: subscriptions to the magazine.
Scoutreach Division (http://www.scoutreachbsa.org)
Scoutreach Division has launched its own, separate, Web site.
Supply Group (http://www.scoutstuff.org)
A separate stand-alone site for Supply Group, offers online purchasing for Supply Division items.
The Merits of Marketing (http://marketing.scouting.org)
Marketing opportunities, tips, and resources for local councils.
The Scout Zone (http://www.thescoutzone.org)
Promotional site for the Boy Scout program.
Tooth of Time Traders (http://www.toothoftimetraders.org)
E-Commerce site for Philmont Scout Ranch.
Youth Protection Resources (http://www.scouting.org/pubs/ypt/resources.html)
Collection of Youth Protection Resources
If
you would like to have an announcement or promote your unit or district
event in the next issue of the Digital Eagle, email your info to vlambert@1bsa.org.
The
Greater Alabama Council reserves the right to edit any information
submitted for consideration to appear in the Digital Eagle.
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